Last month I was in the crowd of nearly 1200 at Coe College in Cedar Rapids for the Joni Ernst Town Hall.

For the most part it was very painful to sit through as she failed time and again to answer the questions asked. Like so many politicians, and especially those on the right, she tried over and over to bend the conversation to her talking points. If you were there or if you have seen the video you know that the crowd was having none of it.

But there was one short bright spot that came from nowhere and left almost undetected. About a third of the way into the proceedings, a gentleman asked “and I want to know your (Ernst’s) opinion. Do you think the president should release his taxes so that we know if he is acting in the best interest of the American people?”

Ernst answered that barely audibly while speaking over the end of the gentleman’s question saying “I think he should.” Then as if in a flash the scene quickly changed to a new question. Almost as if the Ernst team as a whole wanted to get past that little statement hoping no one would remember.

But many of us did. I sort of filed it away in my memory waiting for tax day (today) to visit us so I could pull this snippet out.

Joni said quietly, sheepishly and almost inaudibly in that crowded hall that day that she believes Donald Trump should release his taxes. She is one of 100, no actually she is one of 52 whose voice may have some power to move the president to do the right thing and release his taxes.

As the questioner stated “so the American people can know if he (the president) is acting in the best interest of the American people.” Recent reports both domestic and foreign are giving the American people hints that there may be information within those tax returns that could help flesh out the story of who and what the president was engaged in before he became president.

This is a question that is the very essence of our government. To quote an earlier president who was known to run pretty close to the edge, Dick Nixon: “People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook.” The American people also need to know if their president is consorting with crooks or if any of his businesses are.

So when Ernst uttered those words we wonder if she realized that she has a lot of power to help make such a revelation happen? She is one of 52 senators in her party who can put some real pressure on Trump. We all know he would blow off any attempts by Democrats to pressure him to reveal his taxes.

Senator Ernst, you made the statement in front of 1200 citizens many of whom were struck silent by your statement. Now it is time for you to step up to the job you have and stand up to the president for Iowans and say to him “Mister Trump reveal your taxes!”

Do you have the guts to stand up for what you believe? Do you have the guts to stand up for what Iowans want you to do? Will you stand up for your country?

Furthermore, you promised to make the politicians squeal when you got to Washington. Well here is your chance to make some squeal extremely loudly when you call for the president to do the right thing. As far as we know he pays little if any taxes, yet enjoys major benefits from the public trough. One way we can learn if our president pays taxes like the rest of us is to have them opened for scrutiny.

There may also be major squealing when we find out if our president is conducting business in an unethical way with unethical people? But you promised you would be the one to make them squeal!

It is 5AM on April 15th. A statement calling on the president to reveal his taxes would have the greatest impact today as media of all stripes will be focusing on stories about taxes in this country. No doubt many of those stories will be talking specifically about the president and his failure to reveal his taxes as all presidents have since the aforementioned Nixon.

All that Americans want is transparency and fairness and someone to fight for their interests in the halls of power. This should be minimum that we expect from our senators

A statement today – or for that matter Sunday or Monday since the legal deadline to file is not until Monday at midnight – from a member of the president’s party would get huge coverage. Such an action would set you apart from the faceless, nameless Republican senators of today who seldom take a stand for the people.
Such an act would take a vast amount of courage. Do you have it? I guess we will find out in the next 67 hours.